Ah, November. Around here, November is when it starts to get cold. The hard frosts come, the plants die, daylight savings robs us of our natural sleep cycle. Okay so I dislike the dark and the cold. But, however true that may be, I do enjoy this season.
I love Thanksgiving. It’s my favorite holiday, if I had to choose. Kevin’s birthday is in November, too. And November is also when NaNoWriMo happens!
NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month, is an event run by a nonprofit organization. It happens every November, and the goal is to write 50,000 words (the average length of a full-sized novel) in 30 days. For more information, head to their website.
I have participated in this wonderful, creative, crazy event once before. I loved being a part of such a large group of fearless (or fearful, yet courageous) writers. But when it came time to sign up this year, I hesitated. Being a mom, homeschooling two kids, and running a very small business, I figured I just wouldn’t have time.
But writing is what I love to do. It’s what I’m passionate about. And I’ll be boldly honest here – becoming a published author is my dream. After a little nudge from a friend, I decided to just go for it.
And so I came up with my own criteria for this year’s NaNoWriMo. I’m sharing them here, for all those who have ever said, “I can’t do that…”
- Set your own word count goals. There are no NaNoWriMo police. The event is about creativity. Go for it!
- Write when you can, accept when you cannot. This year, my writing time is limited to once, maybe twice a week. Be where you are. It’s okay.
- Recognize what NaNoWriMo is all about. Stories matter. So do you.
Write on!
